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Journalism of Courage
That illegal mining,mining without permission or in excess of what is permitted,has become a major issue nationwide is now quite clear. In the last couple of weeks alone,the Himachal Pradesh government said it would have to crack down on illegal sand mining and quarrying; RTI and PIL-filer Amit Jethava was shot and killed in the middle of Ahmedabad,with a missing BJP MP having to take out full-page ads denying that his mining interests had been under threat from Jethavas activities; and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said that he was concerned about illegal diamond mining in areas close to the Naxal belt. And thats without even considering Andhra Pradesh or Karnataka: the politics of both states have been warped out of shape by iron ore mining. Following the big Congress rally in Bellary,Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi pledged his support to the agitating state unit in Bangalore,and former BJP President L.K. Advani,in Mysore,said,The BJP government in Karnataka has taken a decision to check illegal mining. Let the Centre,the prime minister and the finance minister also impose restrictions on illegal mining.
Of course,because of the complexity of the regulations that surround the mining industry currently,many of which empower states,it isnt quite that easy for the Centre. But the Union cabinet has indeed had to move on it,even before the Centres new mining legislation. That bill is with a GoM currently,and Mines Minister B.K. Handique confirmed to the Rajya Sabha in Question Hour on Monday that it will strengthen Central institutions,including the Geological Survey of India and the Indian Bureau of Mines. The current draft also contains a provision that earmarks a quarter of profits for local area development. A provision of that sort,that helps get local communities on board,should remain in the bill when it becomes law.
And it is a mere band-aid; what is needed is careful study,such as the Supreme Court ordered one of the Reddy brothers mines,of who is violating what law where.
